According to John Blair, in his book A Culture of Kits: The Definitive Guide to Classic Football Shirt Collecting, the football shirt is “a symbol. A memory. A historical artefact. A way of life.”
Perhaps we would all feel the same if we were all Real Madrid fans. It is, perhaps, a bit more challenging to argue that a Charlton Athletic shirt is “a way of life”, unless, of course, that way is a deep trauma bond. Nonetheless, while that particular assertion may feel a touch grandiose to some, it is impossible to argue against the cultural and historical significance of the football shirt to its fans.
